Patch antenna array with improved radiation efficiency

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12057640-B2
Application number	US-202217951052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Sep 22, 2022
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

An antenna assembly includes an array of patch antennas arranged above a rectangular ground plane. The patch antennas are arranged in a sequence beginning at a first end of the rectangular ground plane and continuing across a width of the rectangular ground plane to a second end. With regard to this sequence, a plurality of polarization feeds alternate between being adjacent a first corner to being adjacent a second corner of the patch antennas and/or a plurality of via walls alternate in orientation along portions of a first edge of the rectangular ground plane and along portions of a second edge of the rectangular ground plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna assembly, comprising:
a substrate;
a first metal layer adjacent a surface of the substrate and configured to form a rectangular ground plane having a first edge that extends across a width of the rectangular ground plane and a second edge that extends across the width of the rectangular ground plane;
a second metal layer configured to form a first linear array of patch antennas spaced from the rectangular ground plane, the first linear array of patch antennas being configured to extend across a length substantially equal to the width of the rectangular ground plane, wherein the first metal layer is between the substrate and the second metal layer;
a first feed coupled to a first portion of a first patch antenna in the first linear array of patch antennas, the first portion being spaced apart from a center of the first patch antenna towards the first edge;
a first plurality of vias coupled to the first metal layer and configured to form a first via wall that extends only along a portion of the first edge that is adjacent the first patch antenna;
a second feed coupled to a first portion of a second patch antenna in the first linear array of patch antennas, the first portion of the second patch antenna being spaced apart from a center of the second patch antenna towards the second edge; and
a second plurality of vias coupled to the first metal layer and configured to form a second via wall that extends only along a portion of second edge that is adjacent the second patch antenna.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein vias are absent from a portion of the second edge that is adjacent the first patch antenna and vias are absent from a portion of the first edge that is adjacent the second patch antenna, and wherein vias are absent from an area between the first patch and the second patch antennas.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first feed is configured to cause the first patch antenna to transmit and receive according to a first linear polarization, and wherein the second feed is configured to cause the second patch antenna to transmit and receive according to the first linear polarization.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
a third feed coupled to a second portion of the first patch antenna, the second portion of the first patch antenna being spaced apart from the center of the first patch antenna in a direction that is parallel to the first edge and to the second edge; and
a fourth feed coupled to a second portion of the second patch antenna, the second portion of the second patch antenna being spaced apart from the center of the second patch antenna in the direction that is parallel to the first edge and to the second edge.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 4 , wherein the third feed is configured to cause the first patch antenna to transmit and receive according to a second linear polarization that is orthogonal to the first linear polarization, and wherein the fourth feed is configured to cause the second patch antenna to transmit and receive according to the second linear polarization.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first linear polarization is defined by an electric field that is orthogonal to the first edge and to the second edge.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third metal layer between the second metal layer and the first metal layer, the third metal layer being configured to form a second linear array of patch antennas adjacent to the first linear array of patch antennas.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first linear array of patch antennas is configured for a first frequency and wherein the second linear array of patch antennas is configured for a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first linear array of patch antennas is a first linear array of rectangular patch antennas, and wherein the second linear array of patch antennas is a second linear array of rectangular patch antennas.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first patch antenna is a first square patch antenna and wherein the second patch antenna is a second square patch antenna, and wherein the second linear array of patch antennas includes a third square patch antenna adjacent the first square patch antenna and a fourth square patch antenna adjacent the second square patch antenna, the third square patch antenna being larger than the first square patch antenna and the fourth square patch antenna being larger than the second square patch antenna.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a third feed coupled to a third portion of the third square patch antenna, the third portion being spaced apart from a center of the third square patch antenna towards the second edge, and further comprising a fourth feed coupled to a fourth portion of the fourth square patch antenna, the fourth portion being spaced apart from a center of the fourth square patch antenna towards the first edge.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the antenna assembly is integrated into an edge of a cellular telephone, wherein the width of the rectangular ground plane extends along a width of the edge of the cellular telephone, and wherein the width of the rectangular ground plane defines a longer edge of the rectangular ground plane.

13. An antenna assembly, comprising:
a rectangular ground plane having a first edge and a second edge that both extend across a width of the rectangular ground plane;
a plurality of patch antennas above the rectangular ground plane, the plurality of patch antennas being configured into a linear array that extends across a length substantially equal to the width of the rectangular ground plane, each patch antenna in the plurality of patch antennas including a first portion closer to the first edge and a second portion closer to the second edge;
a plurality of first feeds arranged in a sequence corresponding to the plurality of patch antennas, the plurality of first feeds being configured to alternate in orientation such that each subsequent first feed in the sequence is configured to couple to the second portion of a respective patch antenna responsive to a preceding first feed in the sequence being configured to couple to the first portion of a respective patch antenna and such that each subsequent first feed in the sequence is configured to couple to the first portion of its respective patch antenna responsive to the preceding first feed in the sequence being configured to couple to the second portion of its respective patch antenna; and
a plurality of via walls coupled to the rectangular ground plane and arranged corresponding to the plurality of patch antennas, the plurality of via walls being configured to alternate in orientation such that each via wall is configured to extend only along a portion of the first edge adjacent a respective patch antenna responsive to the respective patch antenna's first feed being coupled to the respective patch antenna's first portion and such that each via wall is configured to extend only along a portion of the second edge adjacent the respective patch antenna responsive to the respective patch antenna's first feed being coupled to the respective patch antenna's second portion.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 13 , wherein the rectangular ground plane is defined by the width and a height, wherein the width of the rectangular ground plane is greater than a height of the rectangular ground plane.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 13 , wherein each first feed in the pluralit

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Aviv Assaf
• Yang Taesik
• Tassoudji Mohammad Ali
• Wang Kevin Hsi-Huai

Classifications

• H01Q21/24 Primary

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title

• H01Q9/045

  with particular feeding means (for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428) · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q19/021

  Means for reducing undesirable effects · CPC title